Joy across the United Arab Emirates felt incomplete until May unveiled its triple invitation to the road racing season. One star dominated the scene: Tadej Pogačar, now focused on healing his left ankle, but widely expected to be back for the Tour. Also rising was a young Alicante-born Spaniard, Juan Ayuso, whose quiet return from last summer’s silence points to a comeback in Switzerland this Tuesday. It’s the last stage before the Giro, and the memory of Ayuso finishing fourth in 2022 lingers as a benchmark of potential not yet fully realized.
Throughout the UAE, Ayuso has rarely been the subject of loud chatter since his Madrid Plaza de Cibeles podium at nineteen, marking him as a Spanish leader among a generation eager to grab every podium. Even when he is not racing, the sport seems to breathe a heavier air, an undercurrent of expectation that follows the young riders who promise to redefine the sport.
the question in question
What’s happening with Ayuso right now? That question hung in the air. When teams remained tight-lipped, the issue boiled down to a young rider who turned twenty this year and had already faced a frustrating 2023. Months ago the plan touched Volta and Itzulia, before the hard decision to consider Ardennes classics if he could even put a number on his back again. The mind-set was clear: get back on track, steadily and safely.
Ready to regain momentum.
@juann_ayuso “After some frustrating injuries, I am happy to announce that I will finally start my season next week. @TourDeRomandie
#WeAreUAE #BAETeamEmirates #TourdeRomandie cited in posts are part of the public narrative around his return.” Source: Team Emirates communications
It began with a single pain in the leg, forcing him away from training and making even a climb like the Envalira route in Andorra impractical. March brought a harsh reality where hard training was essential yet insufficient, and the idea of continuing a professional calendar looked financially and physically risky. The pressure of returning with no guarantees and little margin for error weighed heavily on him and his team. The emphasis had shifted from pure speed to sustainable development and resilience, a trend familiar to modern cycling where people rise and fall within the same season because results do not last by accident. Source notes from race coverage confirm this struggle and recovery cycle.
Ayuso was the rider who debuted with Vuelta aspirations and secured a podium finish, a sign of the promise that, alongside Carlos Rodríguez, the young leaders of the Spanish peloton carry into a season that remains uncertain for 2023. The duo faces the sport’s big stars, adapting to a year that presents more challenges than triumphs for many of their peers.
improvised calendar
Tendinitis and a cautious UAE path have explained Ayuso’s absence from racing until now. Pogačar, approaching this from Alicante, has given the younger rider a blueprint: shape a schedule that lets him push forward without risking a longer layoff. The plan is to craft a makeshift timetable for the Vuelta, where Ayuso would assume leadership duties for the squad. Time remains, but as many fans recall, January and February hinted at timelines that kept slipping away, forcing tactical patience from riders and staff alike.
Now the tunnel appears to have light. This week Ayuso is slated to ride from Tuesday through Sunday, building a sense of momentum, chasing positive sensations, and hoping the leg pain eases enough to focus on sharpening form ahead of the Vuelta, which opens on 26 August in Barcelona. The objective remains clear: improve on last year’s third place while delivering strong results for the UAE team. The riding mindset is all about progress, not perfection, and the resilience shown in the last few months has become a defining feature of this season’s narrative. Source: race and team communications